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Quick answer: If you loved Ulysses, read James Joyce's Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, then Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury and Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49. All are demanding modernist classics.
James Joyce's 1922 novel follows Leopold Bloom, Stephen Dedalus and Molly Bloom over a single day in Dublin, 16 June 1904, in a style that shifts from chapter to chapter. It is famous for being difficult and rewarding. The books below offer similar modernist and experimental fiction, from easier entry points to harder reads.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | James Joyce | Adult | Joyce's coming-of-age novel |
| Finnegans Wake | James Joyce | Adult | Joyce's final work |
| Swann's Way | Marcel Proust | Adult | first volume of In Search of Lost Time |
| Dubliners | James Joyce | Adult | short stories |
| Mrs. Dalloway | Virginia Woolf | Adult | readers who like stream of consciousness |
| To the Lighthouse | Virginia Woolf | Adult | more Woolf |
| The Waves | Virginia Woolf | Adult | experimental prose |
| The Sound and the Fury | William Faulkner | Adult | more Faulkner |
| As I Lay Dying | William Faulkner | Adult | Southern epic |
| Light in August | William Faulkner | Adult | readers who want a Faulkner entry |
| The Magic Mountain | Thomas Mann | Adult | sanatorium novel |
| Death in Venice | Thomas Mann | Adult | readers who like psychological depth |
| The Crying of Lot 49 | Thomas Pynchon | Adult | paranoid puzzle |
| Moby-Dick | Herman Melville | Adult | patient readers |
| Ulysses | James Joyce | Adult | stream of consciousness |
1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
Stephen Dedalus grows up in Ireland and finds his voice. A good entry to Joyce.
Best for: Joyce's coming-of-age novel.
2. Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
A dream-language novel of puns and layers. Famously difficult.
Best for: Joyce's final work.
3. Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
A narrator remembers childhood and love. Slow and exquisite.
Best for: first volume of In Search of Lost Time.
4. Dubliners by James Joyce
Fifteen short stories about ordinary Dubliners. A good way into Joyce.
Best for: short stories.
5. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
A day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares a party, with a war veteran's story woven in. Lyrical and deep.
Best for: readers who like stream of consciousness.
6. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
A family at a summer house in Scotland and the passing of time. Woolf's most admired novel, quiet and beautiful.
Best for: more Woolf.
7. The Waves by Virginia Woolf
Six friends speak in soliloquies from childhood to old age. Poetic and experimental.
Best for: experimental prose.
8. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
The Compson family's decline, told from four viewpoints. Famous and difficult.
Best for: more Faulkner.
9. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
A family carries their mother's body to her burial. Strange and powerful.
Best for: Southern epic.
10. Light in August by William Faulkner
Lena Grove, Joe Christmas and Reverend Hightower cross paths in Mississippi. Powerful and unforgettable.
Best for: readers who want a Faulkner entry.
11. The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
A young man visits a tuberculosis sanatorium and stays for years. Long, slow and rich.
Best for: sanatorium novel.
12. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
Gustav von Aschenbach, an aging writer, becomes obsessed with a young boy in Venice. Elegant and troubling.
Best for: readers who like psychological depth.
13. The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
A woman uncovers a mysterious underground postal network. Short and witty.
Best for: paranoid puzzle.
14. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Captain Ahab hunts the white whale. A giant classic of obsession.
Best for: patient readers.
15. Ulysses by James Joyce
One day in Dublin, told with great invention. Difficult but rewarding.
Best for: stream of consciousness.
How to Choose
To begin with Joyce read Dubliners or A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. For stream of consciousness choose Mrs Dalloway or To the Lighthouse. For Southern modernism pick Faulkner. For ambitious German novels read Thomas Mann. Ulysses is hard going, so a companion guide or audiobook can help. Many readers use a companion such as an annotated edition, or listen to the audiobook, as the book is dense with references. Bloomsday, celebrated every 16 June, honours the novel.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ulysses about?
A day in Dublin in the lives of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus.
Who wrote it?
James Joyce.
When was it published?
1922.
Why is it hard?
It uses shifting styles and many references.
Should I read Dubliners first?
Many readers do, since it is easier.
What is Bloomsday?
A celebration held every 16 June.
Is it worth it?
Many readers find it rewarding.
What should I read next?
Try Mrs Dalloway or Dubliners.
Which book here is best for short stories?
Try Dubliners by James Joyce, which suits readers looking for short stories.
Which book here is best for experimental prose?
Try The Waves by Virginia Woolf, which suits readers looking for experimental prose.
Which book here is best for readers who want a Faulkner entry?
Try Light in August by William Faulkner, which suits readers looking for readers who want a Faulkner entry.
Which book here is best for paranoid puzzle?
Try The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, which suits readers looking for paranoid puzzle.
Which book here is best for Joyce's final work?
Try Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, which suits readers looking for Joyce's final work.